Big spenders look to slash soaring tax bills

NEW YORK - The Los Angeles Dodgers will pay baseball's highest luxury tax for the fourth straight year and the New York Yankees owe a penalty for a 15th consecutive season, streaks that could end as the sport's biggest spenders slash their payrolls for 2018.

The Dodgers owe $36.2 million, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner's office and obtained by Associated Press. That raises their five-year tax total to nearly $150 million.

New York was second at $15.7 million, its lowest amount since 2011 but a figure that increased its total since the tax began to $341 million. San Francisco was next at $4.1 million, followed by Detroit at almost $3.7 million and Washington - which is paying tax for the first time - at just under $1.45 million.